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This Week in 5G: Say Aloha to 5G .

This Week in 5G: Say Aloha to 5G

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Ariz Matute

Director, Digital Strategy

And by Aloha, we mean “hello”! December is finally here, and while most of the country is gearing up for some cold weather, the biggest headlines this week comes from the warm beaches of Hawaii. Let’s take a look at some of the latest news and stories on the next generation of wireless.

Coming Soon: 5G Smartphones5G devices made big waves as well, as both Verizon and AT&T announced this week that they plan to release 5G smartphones in 2019. Verizon and Samsung unveiled a prototype during the Summit, with plans to launch 5G smartphones in the first half of 2019. AT&T is expected to do the same, bringing 5G devices to market in the spring.

Warm Up with HotspotsNot only are we going to see 5G-capable smartphones coming our way next year, mobile hotspots with 5G connectivity will also be arriving in 2019. Hotspots are a key component of the 5G picture, and demos this week from Maui show that phones won’t be the only way you can hop on 5G’s faster speeds.

Pushing Towards 5G with FirstNet BuildoutLastly, this week AT&T’s CEO announced that the company completed one-third of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) buildout—six months ahead of schedule. AT&T is partnering with FirstNet to build and manage America’s first high-speed wireless broadband network dedicated to the nation’s first responders, and anticipates the project will increase network capacity by 50 percent by the end of 2019, and prepare the provider for a smooth transition to 5G.

That’s a wrap for This Week in 5G. Check back next Friday for more news, more highlights and more 5G! Now excuse me while I go ahead and book my tickets to Maui!